CPW highlights bear safety during Fat Bear Week 2025
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) --As the beloved 2025 Fat Bear Week returns, Colorado wildlife officials are using the occasion to remind residents how to stay Bear Wise at home.
The 2025 Fat Bear Week celebrates brown bears' success in preparation for winter hibernation. Voters have the chance to pick the fattest bear of the year, picked from the largest brown bears that live in Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska.
Here on the Front Range, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is the go-to source for all things bear-related, with its team responsible for conservation and wildlife management across the state.
Wildlife officers Tyler Kersey and Aaron Bersheid joined KRDO13 to share their expert knowledge on bears in Colorado.
As we know, bears are a part of life here in Colorado, but this time of year holds particular significance for them.
Kersey explained to KRDO13 why exactly that is the case.
"We're kind of in the middle of a fat bear fall...we like to call it, and the bears are trying to pack on those pounds. They're getting really hungry, which we call hyperphagia...they're trying to get roughly 20,000 calories a day right now... that's why things like bird feeders and stuff are so attractive to them because of the calorie count... they can actually smell food up to five miles away.
Kersey says that bears in the area are packing on the calories to enter torpor, which is similar to hibernation. However, instead of a deep sleep, the bear will still wake up.
The Colorado community is no stranger to bear encounters. Bersheid shared how to handle a bear encounter when they do occur.
"We're fortunate in Colorado to have a very robust bear population, and in the springs, we're even more fortunate. They seem to really like the springs, especially on the west side. So there's a lot of interactions that people in Springs have with bears, and one of the things that we try to impress upon people is that any negative interaction a bear can get from a human is super important."
Bersheid explained that a "scared bear is a safe bear," highlighting essential tools the community can use to deter bears.
Some of these tools feature rattle cans, bear spray, air horns, and even kitchen pots and pans that can be used to make noise to scare the bears away.
"Anything that's super imposing to them is something that we want to allow people to use so that the bears get scared away. If...they get rewards around humans, that's when they start doing the behaviors that aren't so good for bears."
CPW recommends pre-making tools, such as a rattle can, to keep by your front door or in a backpack, in case you encounter a bear.
Watch the video above for the whole conversation with CPW and to see an example of the tools the officers recommend.
For more information on how to remain bear-wise, click here.
To cast your vote in Fat Bear Week, click here.
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
